Chapter 53: Great Grandfather
Translator: BeetleBarker Editor: Tennesh
After postproduction for the third movement had been completed, Silver Wing media had sent a copy to Zaro.
Zaro was pleased with the music and was very satisfied with himself for making that decision. However, the score was just an accompaniment for a part of "God of War." The movie’s plot differed from that of the music video. Under normal circumstances, Zaro would have just used it right away. This time, he was under heavy pressure and was taking his work seriously. Therefore, after discussing with Silver Wing Media, he forked up another sum for the composer to make some changes in the arrangement to better fit the movie.
Wireless Media had no shortage of arrangers, However, Zaro felt that the original composer would do the job better.
On Silver Wing’s side, the adjustments were done personally by Fang Zhao after Duan Qianji had passed on a clip from "God of War."
In a movie scene, there would be an abundance of sounds. Should the musical score’s arrangement be inappropriate, the sound effects of the movie and the score might affect or conceal the other.
Therefore, when Fang Zhao was producing the revised version, he watched similar movie clips in order to blend it with the music. He made adjustments to the tone, pitch, and tempo, as well as the harmonizing and acoustics. Some of the electronic tones were removed and instead made use of the movies sound effects for a seamless blend.
On Wireless Media’s side, the soundtrack did not garner much attention. Zaro felt that the soundtrack was very suitable for his grand entrance. Zaro’s agent considered the soundtrack to be decent, but he didn't think it would impact the film much.
As the clock approached 11 a.m., the staff of Wireless Media kept their eyes glued to the digital chart, paying attention to the sales for the premiere.
Due to advancements in technology, projection equipment and sound systems had improved tremendously. Besides the major movie theatres in the commerce center of every city, most people could catch movies upon their release directly through the internet.
Actual cinemas were a thing of the past, with the entire industry moving toward an online and virtual direction.
People in every city of Leizhou had readied their projection equipment and prepared themselves. Most just wanted to see what sort of production the famous Zaro Renault showcased this time. Some genuinely just wanted to view the film before writing reviews.
Zaro has specially invited a few of his close friends of the same ilk to watch the premiere in his own luxurious projection room.
"Its starting! Ha ha, let's see how Senior Master saves the world!"
Zaro did not bother checking the amount of online marketing done. Although he was hedonistic, he certainly was not stupid. He knew that the movie could not compare to "King of Snipers," but he had already made a stand and there was no backing down. Having achieved what he had set out to do, box office numbers and reviews were just secondary.
Most people did not have high expectations for "God of War." Just watching the trailer would give one the gist of the plot. In the end, it would just be the age-old plotline of the hero saving the damsel in distress and saving the world. According to people online, watching one of Zaro’s movies was the same as watching all of them.
"God of War" had a simple plot. The male lead was an outstanding soldier in the army. The female lead was a reporter. When a certain metropolis encountered an attack by a monster, the female lead headed to the disaster zone to report. In the time of crisis, the male lead led his team to the rescue, beating the monster and saving the beauty in a happy ending.
Movies should be enjoyable. Logic goes flying out the window when the movie is taken too seriously. Perhaps due to Zaro himself starring in the movie, compared to the previous seven, every single actor and actress, the female lead, and even the extras acted seriously. Every effort was made for the casting as well. Even Zaro, whose acting was not that great, put in a lot of hard work. Unlike the seven movies before, the eighth move was not just an extravagant and pompous affair.
On this note, it was a great improvement.
However, some sharp-sighted members of the audience could immediately tell the similarly sized Zaro from his body double.
These naysayers were quick to point out the parts where the body double stood in. Other than the times where Zaro’s face could be seen, the rest, including his back profile and silhouettes, were done by the body double.
‘Not professional at all, bad review!’
Halfway through the story, the film focused on the disaster-stricken area under attack from the monster. Billowing clouds of black smoke and large scale explosions contrasted with the tiny human figures. The flames threatened to consume as the heavy smoke and dust set a suffocating tone.
The whole scene looked so realistic.
At this moment, those watching this scene had two words popping up in their minds—crappy film.
Commercial films laden with special effects and a cliche plot were a dime a dozen. One glance was more than enough to know how it would turn out. Especially in the New Era where film and television were thriving, a typical film without much logic would be termed by the public as a "crappy film."
Having watched how the film played out, most people already had a gist of the plot; it was similar to what they had expected.
Great. It was about time for Senior Master Zaro’s lead character to lead his troops to save the day. Most people treated this movie as a joke, and now it was time for the highly anticipated climax that the masses had been waiting all along to laugh at.
This movie that Zaro had invested in was melodramatic and lacking in logic, but at least it had a stunning atmosphere and special effects. This redeeming factor made the movie easier to endure.
"Almost there! In a moment you guys can marvel at how the great master steals the thunder!" Zaro exclaimed as he lay on the sofa, excitedly shaking his legs.
At that moment, outside Zaro’s mansion, a flying transport was descending slowly.
For this kind of detached residence, the large garden out front was the landing spot for flying cars and transportation.
Zaro’s housekeeper was busy preparing food and drinks to be brought to the theater. As he saw the descending vehicle, he immediately dropped what he was doing and called out to the rest of the servants in the house to hurry over and welcome the guests. Even though his hair was in a mess, the housekeeper did not raise a finger to fix it. Instead, he stood rooted to the spot as if he were a statue.
When the hum of engines died down, the cabin door opened. The housekeeper and servants dropped their heads lower, afraid to make eye contact. Peeking from the corner of their eyes, all they saw was the boots of a few security personnel.
An elderly man with a head full of white hair stepped out from the transport. The personal doctor beside him raised a hand to offer his support but was waved away.
The elderly man scrutinized the house in front of him with a faint smile. With a slight smile, he sighed. "Seems like it has been more than a decade since I last came." Turning to the respectfully waiting housekeeper, he asked, "Is the young punk Zaro in?"
"The young master is currently in the theater screening the premiere with seven of his friends," the housekeeper replied politely, his voice wavering softly from the nervousness
"Great," the elderly man said as he walked forward.
The housekeeper took a few large strides and opened the doors. Only after the elderly man had entered the room did he raise his head and worriedly glanced across the room. The housekeeper was not worried that Zaro might receive a scolding. Rather, he was concerned that Zaro might get annoyed at this old man. He was no ordinary man; he was the head of the Renault family. Even up to today, many of Leizhou’s top officials paid their respects to the man considered the founding father of Leizhou.
This was the man Zaro addressed as great-grandfather.